Dan Michael – Master Hobbyist and Rocketeer
Respected throughout the model rocketry community, Dan is known for creating designs that merge technical precision with imaginative flair. With decades of hands-on experience and a passion for inspiring the next generation, this design reflects his signature style: bold, beautiful, and built to fly true.
Dan Michael is a lifelong rocket enthusiast, high-power rocketeer, mentor, and rocket kit designer whose passion for rocketry began when he was just 11 years old. Inspired by his sixth-grade science teacher, Mr. Nonnemacher, Dan discovered a fascination with building and launching rockets that would grow into decades of hands-on experience, technical achievement, and dedication to the rocketry community.
Dan earned his Level 1 high-power rocketry certification in July 2001, followed by his Level 2 certification in September 2001. In April 2004, he achieved the highest certification level, Level 3, reflecting his advanced knowledge, experience, and commitment to the safe operation of high-power rockets.
Over the years, Dan has built rockets of many sizes, from small model rockets such as the Estes Mosquito to large-scale high-power rockets. He is especially known for his Patriot rocket builds, including a full-scale Patriot that stands 20 feet tall, measures 16 inches in diameter, and weighs approximately 600 pounds. This full-scale Patriot is currently displayed at the AeroTech Museum in Cedar City, Utah.
The Patriot remains one of Dan’s favorite rockets. His other builds include a half-scale Patriot, standing 10 feet tall and weighing approximately 65 pounds, and a three-quarter-scale Patriot, standing 15.5 feet tall and weighing approximately 325 pounds. Dan is recognized within the rocketry community for his experience with large clustered motor launches and complex high-power rocket projects.
Dan was also part of the team involved in the launch of a 1:10 scale Saturn V rocket built by Steve Eves. The rocket stood 36 feet tall, weighed 1,648 pounds, and launched on April 25, 2009, on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay under the supervision of the Maryland-Delaware Rocketry Association. Dan contributed to the project through his work on the rocket’s ignition systems.
In addition to building and launching rockets, Dan serves as a Level 3 Certification Committee member and is a member of the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) and the Tripoli Rocketry Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education, advancement, and the safe operation of amateur high-power rocketry.
Dan enjoys mentoring rocketeers of all ages and experience levels, from beginners launching their first rockets to advanced builders working on complex projects. He is also involved with several rocketry clubs, including MARS, METRA, and URRG in New York, as well as MDRA in Maryland.
Through his rocket kit designs, Dan brings together skill, creativity, safety, and a lifelong love of flight. His work helps inspire curiosity, hands-on learning, and the excitement of discovering what is possible when imagination and engineering come together.